Bowling ball with thumb releasing device



May 31, 1966 R. K. MILLS BOWLING BALL WITH THUMB RELEASING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1965 Faber 2 K M///-:

INVENTOR.

BY MZW United States Patent 3,253,827 BOWLING BALL WITH THUMB RELEASING DEVICE Robert K. Mills, 4407 Haygood, Houston 9, Tex. Filed June 3, 1963, Ser. No. 284,927 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-63) This invention relates to bowling balls, and more particularly to a device for use in the thumb hole of such a ball to assure the quick releasing of the thumb of the player therefrom when the ball is played or launched.

In the game of bowling it is customary to make use of large, heavy balls which are rolled along an alley to knock over bowling pins which are set up in a prearranged pattern at one end of the alley, the score being determined by the number of pins which are knocked down by the rolling of a predetermined number of balls. The balls used for this purpose are of relativelylarge, heavy construction, of uniform size and shape and are provided with spaced apart holes arranged to permit the player to insert the thumb and two fingers of one hand therein so that the ball may be readily held to be launched onto the alley by swinging with the arm and by releasing the same. In playing the game there are many refinements in the. manner in which the ball is held and launched by which the movement of the ball is controlled in an endeavor to knock down as many as possible of the bowling pins.

In the course of long experience it has been found that in launching the ball a greater degree of control of its movement may be exercised by first quickly releasing the thumb from the thumb hole during the swinging of the ball prior to the launching of the same while permitting the two fingers to dwell in the finger holes until the ball reaches a more advanced position. By thus first quickly releasing the thumb while the two fingers remain in the finger holes, the rotative motion of the ball may be regulated at its time of launching to more accurately direct the ball toward the particular location where it is desired to strike the pins, thus making it possible,

by the exercise of greater skill to substantially increase the score attained in playing the game.

It has been found, however, that the releasing of the fingers in launching the ball is extremely difii cult to accomplish, without adversely affecting the control which may be exercised on the direction and rolling movement of the ball. Moreover, the rolling movement of the ball when launched is largely controlled by the .two fingers and should the thumb and fingers be released all at the same time there is a tendency for the ball to slide when it engages the alley or to rotate in a direction tend-ing to cause the ball to deviate from the desired path.

The present invention has for an important object the provision of a device for use in the thumb hole of a bowling ball which will aid in causing the thumb to be quickly released from the ball during the launching of the ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thumb releasing device to be positioned in the thumb hole of a bowling ball, which does not substantially change the weight or balance of the ball or interfere with the insertion of'the thumb into the thumb hole to the desired depth.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a thumb releasing device of the kind referred to embodying a coiled spring adapted to be inserted in the thumb hole of a bowling ball, and which is constructed to occupy a minimum of space in, the hole when depressed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thumb releasing device of the kind mentioned-embodying a coilspring which is shaped to be adjustably positioned in the thumb hole for engagement with the users thumb at a 3,253,827 Patented May 31, 1966 desired location in the hole and having means for preventing the spring from becoming accidentally dislodged from the hole.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a thumb releasing device for bowling balls which is easily applied to or removed from the thumb hole of the ball and which is of simple design and durable construction, capable of withstanding the conditions of hard usage to which game equipment of such kind is customarily subjected.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention may best be understood from the following detailed description, constituting a specification of the invention when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein- FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in cross-section and on a reduced scale, illustrating the invention and showing the same as applied to a bowling ball;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale showing a portion of the bowling ball of FIGURE 1, with the thumb hole therein and the thumb releasing device in position for use in the hole;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2 showing the invention in use with the thumb of the user in the thumb hole;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2 illustrating a somewhat different form of the thumb releasing device of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the upper end portion of the device as illustrated in FIGURE 2 showing details of structure of the same.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail the invention is illustrated herein in connection with use with a bowling ball 10 of the usual type having a thumb hole 12 and finger holes 14 and 16, respectively, which may be positioned in a conventional manner or in accordance with the characteristics of the users hand. In many instances the holes 12, 14 and 16 may be particularly located, sized and drilled to conform to the measurements of the users hand and fingers, when the ball is intended for individual use, or may be positioned in a more or less standard manner for general use in bowling alleys.

The releasing device of the invention comprises a coil spring 18 formed of suitable material, such as stainless steel wire, or the like, whose turns are preferably of progressively diminishing diameter from one to the other end of the coil, as shown in FIGURE 2, one or more of the turns of the coil at the larger endthereof being of the same diameter, as seen at 20 and of a size to fit closely within the hole 12 to hold the coil in place in the thumb hole and prevent dislodgement of the same when the ball is in use. The turns 20 may be substantially in engagement with each other to form a ring like portion on the end of the coil, while the coil may be stretched out or extended between its ends to separate the turns of diminishing diameter.

At the other, or outer, end of the coil a ring shaped turn 22 of small diameter is provided within which a cap or cushion element 24 is disposed, which, may be formed of resilient material, such as rubber, plastic, or the like, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5, positioned for engagement with the end of the users thumb when inserted in the thumb hole in gripping the ball preparatory to launching the same.

When the coil spring 18 is thus compressed in the hole by the users thumb, as shown in FIGURE 3, the progressively smaller turns of the coil will be positioned one within another, so that the coil in its fully compressed condition will be of generally fiat, disk-like shape occupying a minimum of space in the bottom of the hole. By

3 this construction it will be apparent that the coil will take up but little space in the bottom of the hole so that it does not interfere with the insertion of the thumb to full depth when the ball is grasped and the application of the releasing device to the ball does not require Ieboring or deepening of the thumb hole.

In making use of the invention constructed and applied as described above, the user grasps the ball in the usual manner by inserting the thumb and fingers in the holes 12, 14 and 16, thus compressing the spring as seen in FIGURE 3, and in swinging the ball forward during launching the same the pressure of the spring exerting an outward thrust on the users thumb will cause the thumb to be suddenly releasedfrom the hole 12 at a time prior. tothe launching of the ball. When the thumb has been released from the .ball, the fingers will still be in their fully inserted positions in the holes 14 and 16, so that the user may exert a force on the ball through the fingers to turn the ball or otherwise direct the same as the ball is launched onto the alley.

It will be apparent that by the use of the releasing device in this summer, very accurate control over the movement and direction of the ball'ma'y be had during the launching of the same to secure the desired performance of the ball in striking the pins.

A somewhat different form of the invention is illustrated in FIGURE 4, wherein the longitudinal axis of the coil 18 is directed somewhat away from the axis of the thumb hole instead of being parallel thereto as in the form of the device shown in FIGURE 2. By thus forming the spring, the same may be readily rotated about the axis of the hole to adjust the position of the spring for engagement by the thumb at any desired position in the hole to suit the requirements of the individual user. The coil 18 may also be formed with one or more large turns 20 at its inner end which may be coated or covered with plastic tubing, as shown at 26 to closely fit the inside of the hole to hold the coil in its adjusted position. The

coil 18' may also have a smaller turn 22' at its other end which may be similarly coated or covered for engagement with the users thumb. In other respects this modified form of the invention is similar to that described in connection with FIGURES 2, 3 and 5 and is used in the same manner.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a thumb releasing device for bowling balls which is of economical manufacture, which may be readily applied to existing bowling balls without alteration of the structure of the same and which will not substantially alter the weight distribution characteristics of the ball.

The invention is diclosed herein in connection with certain specific embodiments of the same, which are intended to be illustrative only, and it will be understood that the coil is capable of various modifications within the spirit of the invention. and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A bowling ball and thumb releasing device comprising a coil spring in the thumb hole of a bowling ball and having a portion shaped for frictional contact with the surrounding wall of the hole to hold said portion against outward displacement in the hole, each turn of said coil being shaped to move into a common plane with the adjacent turn inwardly of the hole upon compression of the coil.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 520,898 6/1894 Rodman 273-63 1,156,143 10/1915 Hyatt 27363 3,137,505 6/1964 Coppola 273-63 RICHARD C. PINKHAM,'Primary Examiner.

G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner. 

